Powerful Earthquake Hits Balochistan, 4 Dead as Flash Floods Strike
A strong earthquake tremor was felt in the Musa Khel district of Balochistan and its surroundings on Sunday morning, causing panic and damage to property in various areas. According to the Seismological Center, the intensity of the earthquake was recorded as 5.5 on the Richter scale, and its depth was 28 kilometers.
The epicenter of the earthquake was 56 kilometers northeast of Musa Khel.
According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), at least 21 houses were completely destroyed in the earthquake, while five houses were partially damaged.
Four people were injured in the collapse of the houses, who were immediately shifted to a local hospital.
After the tremors, people came out of their homes in fear and took shelter in open fields for several hours.
The district administration said that relief teams have been dispatched to the affected areas and the process of assessing the damage is underway.
Authorities have instructed citizens to take precautionary measures in view of the risk of possible aftershocks.
Meanwhile, tremors were also felt in Barkhan district of Balochistan, causing severe panic among the people.
According to the seismological center, the magnitude of the earthquake in Barkhan was recorded at 5.3, and its depth was 10 kilometers.
As a result of this earthquake, the walls and roofs of many houses collapsed, and in some areas, electricity poles also fell, which affected the power supply in some areas.
After the earthquake, citizens came out of their homes and took shelter in open fields. Local administration and rescue teams are assessing the damage in the affected areas.
In addition, seasonal rains in different districts of Balochistan caused flash floods, causing further destruction.
Flash floods occurred in Zhob, Musa Khel and Harnai, resulting in the death of 4 people.
Intermittent rains also occurred in Dera Bugti, Sibi, Mastung, Kalat, Othal, Winder and Musa Khel, and flood conditions arose in some areas. Due to the rain, water accumulated in low-lying areas and normal life was affected.
According to the Meteorological Department, more rains have been predicted in the next 24 hours, which is likely to further increase the effects of flash floods.
Several communication roads were also affected due to flash floods in Zhob, Musa Khel and Harnai.
The district administration has directed to avoid going near the rivers and canals and relief operations are continuing.
Relief teams are reaching the affected areas and carrying out relief operations and local people are being instructed to take precautionary measures to protect themselves from possible dangers.
